On Aug 15, 2012, at 8:25 AM, Michael Aldridge wrote:
On Wed, Aug 15, 2012 at 2:06 AM, Rick Thomas <rbtho...@pobox.com>
wrote:
Resent-From: debian-user@lists.debian.org
From: Michael Aldridge <aldridge....@gmail.com>
Date: August 14, 2012 6:05:29 PM PDT
To: debian-user@lists.debian.org
Subject: PowerPC install stuck at dmesg
After deciding that the official OS was becoming too slow for this
aging hardware, and Apple PowerBook G4 FW800 (not sure about the
FW800, it could be the one immediately following that model), I
decided to install debian and then a WM such as LXDE, to better
use the hardware. I downloaded, burned, and verified the ppc
netinst disk, and it does boot to a yaboot prompt. I then type
'install' and a white screen briefly flashes onto the screen.
Then I see the output of dmesg as the machine partially boots, it
makes it up to locating/defining the vmalloc and ioremap memory
addresses, but then it appears to halt.
I do not recieve any messages such as kernel panics, clock to NO
Hz mode, or similar; if I leave the computer, it will remain in
that state until I reboot it. My assumption is that this is not a
console, just a dmesg readout, but I cannot figure out what the
keybinding is on the mac to get to any other consoles. I should
point out that the disk drive remains spun up, then spins down a
few minutes later. I know how to use the text installer, if only
I could get to it.
What I have tried so far:
reset the SMU
reset the nvram
reset the entire non-volatile memory
use the video flag offered in yaboot
connect an external monitor --> yields a grey screen with what
looks like an open firmware readout, defining memory ranges
Any help is greatly appreciated, it was suggested that I ask this
issue on one of the IRC channels, but having never used those
before, I figured I'd stick with the mailing list I knew.
Hi Michael,
First: try sending this to the "debian-powerpc" list. You may get
more answers there...
Second: I have a couple of G4 tower machines that work just fine,
but unfortunately I don't have any powerbooks to try, so I can't be
of direct help to you. However, the answers to a few questions may
make it easier to diagnose your problem.
1) What netinst image did you download? Can you supply the URL and
time/date of the .iso? One way to get this: Mount the CD (on /mnt,
for example) and look in the file /mnt/.disk/info. It will give
your enough to uniquely identify the version, time and date of
creation of the .iso .
2) I doubt what you're seeing is just dmesg output. Certainly, on
my tower machines, it's the real console output -- at least up to
the stage you are talking about as it hangs.
3) To switch virtual consoles, try various combinations of <fn>
<alt> and the F# keys for #=[1..4] . If that doesn't work, add the
<ctl>, <shift> and <cmd/apple> keys into the mix in that order.
4) Try an external USB keyboard.
Hope this helps!
Rick
The iso was downloaded from the debian.org mirror (as near as I can
tell at least), and it is the small cd image available by clicking
on the power-pc link below the heading of small cds. The iso was
obtained and burned yesterday.
I tried the key combinations you suggested, but none worked. I
also tried with an external keyboard, but that seemed as though it
did not register keypresses.
any other ideas?
I need to know *exactly* which iso you downloaded and burned. Please
follow the instructions in part (1) of my reply. With the data from
the .../.disk/info file on the CD I can download the exact same iso
and test it on one of my G4 tower machines. That will let us know if
it's specific to your laptop, or a generic problem with that
particular iso.
Rick
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